Where, Oh, Where Has My Little Blog Gone?

I'm Baaaaack!

I don't really have any excuses, except that I lost the inspiration to write the past 9 months, curiously coinciding with my soul-sucking choice to cater while auditioning.  

But I've survived.  And found new inspiration.

And in honor of starting anew, I'm developing a bit of a new approach to this blog.  Rather than simply chronicling daily events in the life of Toph (which worked really well whilst being an adventurous ex-pat), I've decided to give it a bit of personal sparkle and share a memory each day, for the next year.  Through to my 29th birthday, starting this Friday.  We'll see how this experiment goes.  I'm not really sure what I've defined for rules, but I want to start telling stories other than the daily bits, and maybe find a way to tie the two together.

So here goes.

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Today was my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary, and I had the pleasure of flying into Colorado this AM to surprise them for a special family dinner.  I can't describe what it's like to see the love and life lived between two 80-somethings that have created a sprawling family over the past 60 years spanning 4 generations.  

Every time my family gets together we relive the memories and stories that make us laugh, and that make our family something special and unique, be it our 6-handed double-deck games of Pinochle, the constant razzing by my Uncle Greg or the yearly ritual of the story of my sister's birth (we'll save that memory for Christmas Eve).  We have something special and unique that stems from the love of two beautiful souls that I have been so blessed to come home to for the past 28 years.

My grandparents met when my Grandpa was staring out the window in Yankton, SD 63 years ago at a young woman mowing the lawn.   He went out and asked her to the movies that night, and the rest is history.  The details of their engagement are best when they tell them, and I finally heard the wedding day story from my grandmother today.  It's truly remarkable history.

The best part?  They prevented their friends from having a chiverie!  And I'm the only person at the table who knew what that was.  Thanks, Oklahoma!

So these two people fell in love, and here I am, blessed with a family that can celebrate this love and the many laughs and sorrows it has wrought.  I'm truly thankful to be part of this crazy clan, and today was a special night I'll never forget.

P.S.  I'm still having plenty of adventures.  Tonight I'm sleeping in the camper outside in the driveway since the house is full of guests, and you better believe I'm thrilled!  ADVENTURES!

Family and Friends

Since the reunion, I went camping in Moab to avoid the rain, and marveled at the red canyon gorge, the desert heat, and the unbelievable night sky.

My family took the most amazing 4.5-mile hike to Morning Glory arch and splashed in the river crossings along the way.

My mom, sis, and I did a drive by of Arches National Park in 75 minutes, keeping us salivating for more.

(for those counting, that means we did 3 National Parks in 2 different states across about 350 miles in 6 days!)

I ate 100,000 calories in a week.  Or at least it feels like I did.

And I had a wonderful last day in Denver.

4 people eating lunch at Chick-fil-a for 8 bucks.  Seriously.  Their coupons are that awesome.

Jordan and I visited my best childhood friend Meghan at her house down in Littleton last night, so we figured we'd beat the traffic by heading to a happy hour down in Littleton, and maybe hit up some of my old stomping grounds along the way.

So we pull up to Dewey's American Grill for happy hour, which we had scoped out online through yelp! and westword, and it looked reasonable.  It even had a second Highlands Ranch location.

Turns out...

a nice young lady was waiting for us as we got out of our car to tell us that Dewey's closed that morning.

WHAT?!  A Tuesday, they just up and closed?  

But, she gave us each a free drink coupon to go next door to Big Papa's BBQ for their happy hour, and we gladly indulged.

12 bucks later, we'd split 5 beers, chips and queso, and hush puppies.  God, I love how cheap the west is.

But the creme de la creme is that when we relayed this story to Meghan, she thought it was crazy because...

Big Papa's is catering her wedding!  What a clever coincidence.

That guerilla marketing really worked out.

It was also amazing to reminisce about our childhoods as Meghan showed us the slideshow for her wedding.  Yes, we played dress-up a lot.  And yes, believe it or not, I have already been a groom.  To her bride.  For Halloween.  When we were 5.  

Let's just say it was classic and people DUMPED their candy bowls into our sacks.  We made out a lot better than when those jerks stole my pillowcase full of candy in the greenbelt behind my house a few years later.  

So we giggled and laughed and walked down memory lane and I can't wait for her wedding.  I can't wait to sing and to celebrate such a special time with one of my favorite women and her amazing family.

And did I mention that I slept in a Harry Potter closet back at the reunion?  Priceless.

Green Table

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for PC.

Not the computers (I'm a Mac convert, 3 years running), but political correctness.

But I'm absolutely appalled at the fact that we can no longer refer to the Native Americans I loved and revered in 3rd grade as their proper Navajo name...

The Anasazi.

It's just so perfect.

Ancestral Puebloans?

CRAP. I'm calling you out on your B.S. Mesa Verde. Seriously.

See, when I was in 3rd grade in Colorado, we learned all about the different tribes of Colorado, including a heavy focus on the Southwest. You East Coasters spent all your years debating Confederates vs. Yanks, but we went back 800 years to the Indians.

And they say there's nothing historical more than 400 years old in the New World.

See we went on a week-long field trip to Crow Canyon, which was pretty much the coolest place ever. One week sleepover trip? Check. Archaelogical digs? Check. Visiting the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde that you fantasized about in class? Check. Following in your brother's footsteps? Check.

It's ironic. I looked forward to two things from my older brothers before high school, going to Crow Canyon and the mine in Georgetown, and both nearly didn't happen. I remember tears. Distinctly.

But on that field trip, and a second visit to Mesa Verde with my family a few years later while camping in the San Juans, I never got to do something I had dreamed about for years. Going down inside the kiva at Spruce Tree House.

Sure we explored Cliff Palace. And yes we got to see Spruce Tree from afar. But I never got to go inside that darn kiva. And that's all I wanted.

Well, 20 years later, my inner 9-year-old finally checked off his bucket list and I got to explore the inside of a restored kiva. With roof fully intact.

And, well... it would've been better had I been 9. Which is why I'm so glad I was with my 9 year old cousin. It was awesome to see his face and remember why I wanted so badly to be there.  I actually think it was the igloo pool at the onsen that ruined it for me.  Dang it, awesome Japanese baths.

The real highlight of the day was actually visiting the lesser known Balcony House with our incredible guide. Well worth the $3 admission fee.

We actually got to climb 30 foot ladders, go into various rooms and sections of the ruins, and squeeze our way through 18-inch wide tunnels and caves. It was phenomenal. The views were spectacular, and I actually learned quite a bit from our guide.

He capped off the tour with an excellent point that we all are different and learning about each other and we have a respect for how these people lived and how they've been preserved for 800 years. Part of our search for security should be preserving and respecting that and coming together to celebrate our differences.

Thanks Mister Corsica, SD for providing me a lot of hope for the future of Middle America.

And thanks Anasazi, oops I mean ancestral Puebloans, for reminding me that we all are on our search for the Center Place now that we've reached the 4th world through the sipapu.

What a great day.

Oh. And we played kickball in a field full of horse poo.

And we kicked those Bardwell's butts back to SD as revenge for the water fights on the river. 11-4. 

Manic Monday

I should've known it wasn't a coincidence when both Kat and Lauren called today. Especially since we'd already been to the hospital once today.

I don't know details, but I found out before bed tonight that one of my former professor's health has taken a turn for the worse. And I'll just have to wait till morning to find out the details.

A fitting end to a day that started with a shower in the dark (short-circuit from too many appliances at once) followed by the news that my Grandma had fallen in the shower and broken her hip.

It seems whenever my family gets together, somebody ends up getting hurt, and since my cousin is 8 months pregnant and not here, unfortunately someone else ended up in the emergency room.

Don't worry, my Grandma pulled through surgery just fine, but we're all now worried about the length of the rehabilitation and the changes that will mean for her and Grandpa. Not to mention how we're gonna get her back from these great orthopedic surgeons in Durango.

That's right.

I'm at a family reunion an 8-hour drive from Denver in Durango, CO. I've been to the amazing Sand Dunes National Monument outside of Alamosa and gone sledding with my cousin in the hot sun.

I've driven over Wolf Creek Pass and nearly wiped out with all the momentum of a fully packed car.  I've played kickball, frisbee golf, and beer pong, and eaten way too much delicious food and washed it down with way too much delicious beer. I've met my gorgeous new niece, seen distant relatives for the first time in almost ten years, and laughed my way down memory lane. I've met new members of the family, and hugged my favorite old ones.

It really has been a good two days in spite of today's events.

So I'm thankful.

I took some me time on the way home at the end of the night and just marveled at the stars. It's amazing what you can see on a cool, dark, clear, moonless night at 8000 feet. I forgot how stunning the Milky Way was. I feel privileged to be the rare New Yorker who has seen it so clearly so many times.

We watched old videos that my great-uncle Art had of Delmont, SD in 1940. The fashion, the hats, the farms, the stature, and familiar faces much, much younger brought so much joy and reflection to my heart.

What a blessing to look back on people you actually know in black-and-white from 70 years ago, pre-WWII. What will my descendants think in 70 years when they find my old videos on this laptop? Or will they even care?

I hope they do, and I hope they remember their loved ones as fondly as I do. Phillip, the young handsome cousin I never really got to know. Art, in a plaid shirt and wide, short tie with a goofy grin on his face. Long hair too! Auntie Babe, with shoulders and a stature that football players strive to attain, yet with the grace of the rest of her 98 years still ahead.

What a joy to be a part of this family. With tons of prayers for one of its beloved members.

Isn't It a Lovely Day

Today was a day I've been waiting for for 3 months.

I ran into my friend Hallie from HSM whilst hiding from the rain in Starbucks today, and she pointed out that I was "friend hopping".

Which is one of my favorite kinds of days in New York.  A day where I have completely filled in a schedule of friend dates and fill my heart with love all day.

Something that, in theory, would be the first two weeks back in the States with everyone clamoring to see me, but somehow, in practice, that didn't happen.  In fact, it's been a LOOOOONG summer waiting for my social calendar to fill up as friends return from working and realize that I am once again on their cell phone radar.

So I friend-hopped.

From Meg and a delicious brunch (banana bread french toast and free wine!) at Almond to Inception, then SPD's birthday dinner to saying "ja ne" to Melissa and Jessi in the East Village.

And it was really a perfect day.  I'm so thankful to have so much love surround me, and how the best part of this city is the ebb and flow of friends.  They may move away or come back or be here right this moment, but they're always in my heart.

And then, when I told my niece I was going to smother her in hugs and kisses and tickle her when I got home in two days, she informed me she's a kicker and I better watch out for her legs.  So I told her I would sit on her legs and then tickle her, at which point she said:

"Oh, that doesn't sound like it would be very much fun!"

As only a 7 year old can.

I love you, friends and family.  And to MT, my radiant Montana angel, I love you, we'll miss you, come back soon!

Birthday Musings

It's funny...

I thought today would instantly feel weirder, be harder, hold more grief.

Instead, I'm falling asleep to the sound of rain on my air conditioner and thunder echoing through the concrete valleys of New York City with my window wide open, blowing in the fresh air of another year on this Earth.

It feels so serene.  A celebration of life.  Not just my mother's gift of childbirth, but that of my birthday buddy with whom I shared 23 of these celebrations.  A celebration of my grandmother whose voice sings in me.  A celebration of my cousin, whose untimely passing challenged my deepest convictions about this business last year.

I didn't think I'd be able to be at peace today.

I know that's why I've been so calm about celebrating, because I didn't want to feel guilty.  And instead of that childlike party-sense, I'm enjoying reminiscing about the last year of my life and the joy it has brought.

So here we go.

Year 27.  I have a lot to learn, a lot to accomplish, and I'm starting over clean slate with no idea of what the future holds.

Gonna be one heck of a ride.

Freezer in the Garage

So I've a lagged a little bit this past week in keeping this blog up-to-date on my life.

So you're guessing I'm gonna tell you about it, right?

Hold your horses, kiddos!  This one's a spur-of-the-moment food-inspired (what else do I blog about?) obsession!



SAMOAS!!!!!!!

No.  Not the people of the island nation where "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" takes place.  I'm talking about GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!

Do you know how long it's been since I've had a delicious caramel coconut chocolate-covered chewy nougat?

I don't even know how long it's been.  It's been that long.

See, Kate just went to switch her laundry at the laundromat, and, attempting to win the race for best roommate ever, bought 2 boxes of Samoas, and a box of Thin Mints (in case those were my favorite) since they just happened to be sitting on the counter for 3 bucks a box at the counter.

SERIOUSLY, NYC?  You can't track down cookies in New York using your web skills or phone books or even stopping by the Girl Scout Association office on 23rd Street, but they just happen to show up at our laundromat the first week of May?!  I'm not complaining, but WHOA!  Seriously, if you go to the website to buy cookies it sends you the contact information for the little girl closest to you selling them.

You'd think GSA would have figured out by now they could just sell them in the grocery store, or make them available through Girl Scouts year-round.  And don't they know that putting little girls' contact info on the internet is a BAD idea?  Hmmmm...

But back to my food obsession.

My mother, being the best mother ever, brought me a box of Thin Mints while I was in Japan.  Seriously, who thinks of that?

Only the kind of mother that would buy something like 50 boxes of Girl Scout cookies each year when we were growing up, and putting them in our freezer in the garage, to make sure our cookie cravings were satisfied all year round.

That's Mother Day award-winning kind of stuff, right there.

Of course, she went above and beyond and would keep like 15 12-packs of pop on a shelf out there (for camping trips and variety, etc.), a dozen loaves of the best raisin bread EVER from South Dakota, and all the pheasants my family would shoot each November in South Dakota.  And when you consider that we were of family of 6 with 3 very hungry growing boys... well, she's a food rock star.

Even better was the half of a cow we kept in the freezer one year.

Seriously.  Kate doesn't believe me, but one year we split a cow with the Boersma's from a butcher in Greeley, and I remember loading up our suburban and going out to cow-town and filling up the backseat with white-butcher-paper-wrapped steaks and ground beef that we had purchased.  We must've eaten that stuff for a whole year.  And it was REALLY good.

I'm not sure where all this nostalgia is coming from, but let's just say the GSA are taking me back to some great memories of my mother and her food-providing skills.

I even remember in high school how liberating and adult-like it felt to purchase my own box of Samoas from one of the girls in English class and then keeping them in my locker.  I would pull one or two out during passing periods and savor the delicacy of my very own Samoa that I never had to share with a brother or sister.

That was heaven.

And now, we have two whole boxes in our freezer to savor at our leisure.

And thank you, Mom, for making sure our sweet-teeth were always satisfied.

In Between

I fell in love with Japan all over again this weekend.

I guess it's easier to do that when you don't have to work 10 hours a day and spring has sprung. Sunshine, cherry blossoms, perfect 65 degree weather? Yeah. I missed my home.

Travelling on Friday was surprisingly easy, though I must say I'm terribly, terribly sorry I didn't stop at the Starbucks or Burger King before security and immigration. I foolishly expected, much like any normal airport, that there would be a plethora of dining options past security. But Taipei doesn't seem to feel the same way... WTF, Taipei? Don't you realize that sometimes people show up early for their flight and are HUNGRY? I mean, this is an international airport we're talking about here and people will be flying for HOURS and maybe would like a snack or quick beverage before they fly. Seriously, don't you think providing a service like FOOD would be helpful?

Apparently not. It's far more important to sell Kiehl's and Polo Ralph Lauren and Johnnie Walker scotch in specialty stores screaming to be included at the Galleria in Houston. Apparently 1000 Duty-Free stores and a Hello Kitty playland and museums dedicated to the Aboriginal tribes of Taiwan are more important than satisfying starving flyers. WTF, Taoyuan International Airport, WTF?

Besides that minor complaint, I had a lovely travel day, including a speedy train ride home from Narita. It's amazing how difficult it was to switch back to Japanese after only a week speaking two words of Mandarin. That really surprised me.

Michael and I continued our weekly tradition of enjoying LOST together (with a little Japanese KFC), and then I hit the hay after waking up so early. I'm impressed how far I traveled when you think about it... from the east coast of Taiwan, a 2 hour train and hour bus to Taipiei, a 3 hour flight to Tokyo, and another train and bus ride to get back to E-Village. All with a smile and some overdue sunshine!

Saturday was a gorgeous day, and I had the opportunity to take a final bike ride down to our seawall. I was surprised to find that the construction that barred turning left (east) had finally ended and an extension of the seaside park continued all the way to the eastern edge of Urayasu. I had a most delicious teriyaki chicken with chipotle mayo on a sesame seed bun sandwich from Pan Jewel for lunch. It honestly just makes it harder to leave when you discover something new two days before you leave. (I discovered chocolate croissants from Mini One the next day too. Boo.) Turns out there are also some cemeteries between the onsen and the seawall and I witnessed a Japanese funeral in progress. It was pretty sublime.

I proceeded down the seawall on the eastern side all the way to the street by the Emion, which means I discovered a beautiful summer bike ride the day before I leave. Oh well.

For one of the first times in my life, my inherent sense of directional memory failed me. I tried to go to the American Pharmacy in the Maronouchi district near Tokyo Station that Campbell showed me on my first adventure back in August, and for the life of me I could not find the right building. I really wanted to pick up some good sunscreen for Thailand, so I used my internet skills later Saturday night, and Evan played a good honey-do hubby and stopped by the store on Sunday since it happened to be in the same building where he was meeting a friend for lunch. So it all worked out, but I lost an hour and 1000 yen trying to find my way on Saturday afternoon.

I had the great fortune of hooking up with my cousin Jennifer on my dad's side while she was visiting, and we stopped off in Odaiba for a quick dinner at Monsoon. The food was delicious, the view of Rainbow Bridge even better, and I think I made one of Jennifer's life dreams come true when she discovered I could take her to Muscle Park and she could attempt the Sasuke obstacle course. I'm so thrilled I could surprise both of us and fulfill one of her travelling wishes. I think that's the best part of living on the other side of the world.

I had a great time seeing her, which means I've now seen 12 members of my family and 6 good friends while I've been in Japan. I couldn't be more blessed, now could I?

Sunday's weather made it terrible to leave Japan, but it was perfect weather for a picnic in the park with the Poly girls. I'm so glad I got to truly hang out with Sina (and eat Mormon jello!) again before I left. She's been such a wonderful and welcoming friend here (as have all the Poly girls) and always feeds me delicious food. I owe her big time for that.

I had some major laundry and errands and packing to do before heading out for Thailand today, but I did have time to have dinner with Satoshi at the station. It was so good to have one last Japanese meal and spend time with a friend.

This morning dawned way too early to head out for the Emion shuttle to the airport. Evan and I are SO EXCITED that we are headed to Thailand. We're not quite sure about our plans for this evening, whether to stay in Bangkok or head down the coast to Trat, because of the political unrest and violence that finally erupted in Bangkok this weekend. Though the situation is heated, I've been very thorough in checking with the State Dept. website and all the news online, and travel in Thailand is still generally safe. We just need to stay away from the major areas in Bangkok where the red shirts are protesting. So our new plan is to talk to the Tourist Info Desk at the airport and find out our best plan for the evening.

I don't really care, because either way we head to the beach tomorrow, and the temperature today is a pleasant 88 degrees! FINALLY! I'm just sad that Thailand is in the middle of such turmoil, and that people are being hurt physically, democratically, and economically. We want to be smart and avoid any potentially dangerous situation, yet it will be enlightening to visit a country in the midst of such heated political rhetoric. We'll see, won't we?

Now we're 40,000 feet above China or somewhere else in Southeast Asia, finally experiencing the beauty of Thai Airways (suck on this service, Delta!) and our first taste of Thai culture (they're wonderful). The food was amazing (chicken panang curry, beef and mashed potatoes, smoked salmon salad), and Evan is dying over the free alcohol. Pillows, blankets, real silverware, and newspapers too! Only thing missing is seat-back television.

I'm so stoked to experience Thailand, and have no idea what this week will hold. I'm still not ready to go back to the States, but maybe a tan, vacation, and a haircut will change all that.

Birthday Buddies

I remember when I was a little boy, REALLY young, I remember my Great Auntie Babe coming to my birthday parties. And this continued, on and off, for many years. And as I grew and the years passed, as the visits to Arizona and Colorado became less frequent, I never lost the special connection I felt to my Great Aunt, even when she finally passed away a few years ago at 98. I always hoped she'd make it to her centennial and I could celebrate my quarter-centennial with her, because... well... see... she was exactly 75 years older than me!

She was my birthday buddy.

And then there's my brother Matt. I always liked his birthday, because it was the same number of the month as mine. But he wasn't ever as special as me, because he often had to share his birthday with that pesky national holiday celebrating the U.S. Presidents. And even though I sometimes had to share mine with Father's Day (I think I rather love that now that I'm older), I was special because I had my birthday buddy. But then my cousin came along and was born on Matt's 20th birthday.

And now she's his birthday buddy.

But I'm not jealous. Instead, I think there must be something special about me and my brothers, because today, magic struck again.

My brother Ben got his birthday buddy.

See, before today, we all thought Ben had found his birthday buddy in his wife Kimberly. Her birthday is the day after his, and that sure makes it easy for me to remember! But I guess that wasn't quite perfect enough.

Now Ben always wanted to have kids by the time he was 30. And though he and Kimberly met in their early-t0-mid twenties, they spent several years dating before marriage and a few years married before they tried for kids. And my brother Ben was ALWAYS a procrastinator. So it was no surprise that his first child would be due only 2 DAYS before his 30th birthday. But I guess the baby had other more magical ideas, like showing up ON his 30th birthday, pretty darn close to the same time in the evening when he was born.

75.

20.

30.

I think there's something magical about my family and birthday buddies.

Welcome to the world and our family, baby girl! We love you!

Sister, Sister!

Well, big surprise. It's Monday. Again. It's been a week since I last blogged. Again. I have visitors. Again. And I'm fighting something.

Again.

Ugh. I'm so over being sick. Every time I get better, one night celebrating a birthday, or one night's lost sleep and I'm fighting my darn body all over again. I'm so over it.

At least I only have two days of work left, everyone's seen the show, and I'm just gonna push through until vacation.

I just think it'd be nice if Japan would freaking help me out and turn up the temperature dial! Sheesh.

It was snowing yesterday. AGAIN!

You'd think that when my sister and Kelli booked their trip for late March during the beginning of cherry blossom season (which it happens to be, by the way) that it wouldn't be 2 degrees Celsius outside! On Palm Sunday!

Remember that whole spring thing, Japan? Apparently, not. Next week it'll likely be 95 with a 100% humidity.

That being said, my sister's here! And it's MARVELOUS!

Despite the fact that I leave this country in 96 hours, not a thing is packed or given away, and that's because I have two guests in my room till tomorrow. And so my final two days are designated only as packing up days! And that they will be...

Anyways, the girls and I have had a great time. Before they got here, I had a busy night Monday trying to keep up with the vacation planning, and on Tuesday I spent my day out and about in Tokyo before heading to Tony's birthday dinner in Roppongi Hills. Which was DELICIOUS but the copious amounts of smoke were a bit of a buzzkill.

The extreme buzzkill came the next morning when my stomach hated its life. Apparently Joe and Destiny threw up the whole night, which luckily never happened to me. But I think we all had a bit of food poisoning since we were sharing from the same set of plates at one end of the table (it was a family-style set menu). So instead of being excited about my sister's arrival, I spent the whole day with the tummy rumbles and the shakes. Awesome.

The girls arrived all the way to E-Village by themselves (good work, ladies!) and then met me for sushi at Ikspiari after work. Yum. Surprisingly, I was able to eat that and hold it down! Then we took the monorail out the Hilton where Rick and Robin were staying to say hello. Turns out everyone was early to bed (I'm sure the day of freezing rain helped that along) and Rick and Bobby came down to chat with us for an hour or so.

Pretty cool to stand in a hotel lobby in Tokyo with my sister and uncle after we all arrived here separately. Who thought that'd happen?

Then we cabbed it home because of the stupid rain, and the girls got a great night's sleep since it rained all day Thursday too. I sent them around the station and Shin-Urayasu since they weren't too keen on freezing all day after two weeks in Thailand. Rick and Robin and the whole family came to the show that day, which was wonderfully fun to see them, though it would've been nice to be able to hug the kids after the show. Mondainai, I guess.

That night the girls, Joseph, and I headed into Urayasu for some delicious food and drink at Big Mama's after we finally figured out an ATM that the girls could get money from. I'm glad I finally made it there because the food was superb, and my personal favorite was this chicken pasta gratin that tasted like Mom's Turkey Tetrazzini. Delish.

Friday the girls (and the rest of Japan) froze in the park, and only got to ride 2 rides (even with FastPasses!), but they did get to see all of the shows, including mine... twice! They came home pretty darn early, but much to their avail as it was Mexican Fiesta Night at Heidi and Renee's. Free delicious food, and Heidi was so kind as to clothe the girls with some warmer wear for their stay here.

Since, ya know, Tokyo doesn't understand that winter should be OVER by now.

Saturday we headed to Hakone for the day, which was the nicest weather we've had by far, which is saying a lot since we couldn't see Fuji, and only had partly sunny weather for a few hours of the day. We barely set foot outside on the pirate ship since it was so chilly, and we braved the wind to go get onsen eggs at Owakudani (and some really cool pics too). Though I will say that it was actually warmer up there than when I went in January!

I think the girls really enjoyed the scenery and the day, but I'm just disappointed at this crappy weather. It did make for a delightful onsen evening that night, complete with Evan on vocal rest, superb yakiniku, and the onsen specialty... soft ice cream. I know the girls were a little out of their comfort zone in the naked section, but they were champs nonetheless.

Yesterday we slept in till 9 (which still felt early...) and made it to church at noon in Yotsuya. I hadn't been there before, but wanted to try a new English mass since I really didn't like the one in Roppongi. I think we were basically at the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Tokyo since there was Mass in a different language every hour and a half and it was packed! The church was architecturally gorgeous, in an oval shape with a flower pattern ceiling, but we didn't get any pics. Unfortunately, the sound was about as atrocious as the obnoxious children, but we did get some beautiful palms for the whole Passion reading.

After church we snapped some photos of the cherry blossoms outside, and headed over to Harajuku and Shibuya to get in some much needed shopping for the girls. Sadly, my sister's feet are just too big to buy shoes or boots here, and so her feet hurt pretty badly all day. We stopped for lunch at my favorite kebab place, and got crepes in the middle of Takeshita-dori later that afternoon. Our attempts to take a picture with a Harajuku girl were met with running, dodging, and many "dame"s. Oh well.

Kelli did manage to buy some cute shoes, a new dress, and we all had a lot of fun. Oh and by the way, it was 2 degrees outside. As usual.

So we cut our plans to go out early, since I had woken up with more of my nasty Japanese head colds, Bree's feet hurt, and it was darn cold outside. We came back to Urayasu for conveyor-belt sushi and the girls were in heaven whenever they'd start shouting and auctioning off a new set of plates. Good thing I was there to let them know what was going on!

We came home early, Evan came over, and we all just rested and went to bed early, since they went to the fish market at 5 AM this morning. I, once again, had to refrain from going due to yet another sickness, so instead I happened to wake up early enough to update the blog.

And now, I must go perform the first half of my last 5 or 6 shows!! Let's hope the throat and voice hold out!

Family Time!

Oh, what a fun and wonderful week it has been! Funderful even!

So momma, aunt, and uncle are visiting, and we are having the best time walking, sight-seeing, and laughing a whole lot at what baca gaijin they are! It's fantastic!

From the moment they arrived, we've just had a ball. From shopping for the next day's breakfast the night they flew in completely jet-lagged to tramping through Kamakura, we've just had a great time.

The first day I scrapped the fish market plan after learning from the exhaustion of Cathy and Meg, so they spent the morning at the Imperial Palace whilst I visited my favorite voice doctor in Tokyo Station. Good news, it all checks out, I've just had a nasty case of pharyngitis, so he put me on some great drugs. Bad news, the medication doesn't always agree with my stomach, but I've survived.

Then we adventured further south to the park near Roppongi to see the beautiful temple there and take a trip up Tokyo Tower. It was awesome (for me) to see the layout from the city from 400 feet up after traipsing across the whole city. It made me realize how many places I've been and what an enormous amount of the city I've seen.

That afternoon we stopped at a noodle house for lunch, but it wasn't particularly great, which was disappointing. But then we stopped at the International Forum building and wandered all the upper suspended walkways and the view was incredible! Topped off with some delicious gelato, the day couldn't have been much better. I met Evan briefly to continue planning our Thailand vacation. And of course, we were early to bed for our early wake up call for the fish market!

The next morning we were up bright and early to visit Tsukiji. 4 AM Wake-up call, and 4 people out of the house by 4:45 AM! I was so proud we actually caught the first train at 5:10 AM. Vending machine coffee has never tasted so good...

We ran into my friend Heidi and her boyfriend on the train, which was really fun because then we all got to experience the madness of the fish market together. I kept comparing it to Narnia, because the early AM tuna auctions are at the very back of the market, and you just gotta keep going "further up, and further in".

Not following? Do yourself a favor... re-read that amazing 7 book series and promise me you don't get a little emotional when you get to the final pages of The Last Battle...

Anyway, the reason I say that, is because you first stumble upon rows of Alleys and little shops selling restaurant goods and fresh fruit and vegetables and many other things... And you have to walk through that until you're in this crazy loading dock area that feels like you're in Port Authority and/or the West Side Cruise Ship port, except all you smell is fish. And this is one time you gotta follow that nose.

Further down you're surrounded by the vendors selling all kinds of fresh seafood, freshly caught, some still alive, and little carts screaming down these teeny shop alleys trying not to kill you. And still you gotta go further in. You have to cross several big streets of transport, and THEN you arrive at the one warehouse where they allow a roped-off, no-flash-photos, out by 6:15 AM visitors area. Of course, the really big tuna auctions are still further up and further in, but they have plenty of "Keep Out you Baca Gai-jin" signs preventing you from going any further.

Side story: I'm not sure why I thought the best phrase I should teach to my family in Japan was baca gaijin... aka stupid foreigner. Because now they shout it all over Japan, which is hysterical. But even moreso was watching my mother try to remember the correct phrase, and with full commitment call herself a "Danke Schon!" HA!

Anyways, this, this is where the real show takes place. Despite the fact that you are herded like cattle into an "itty, bitty living space", you have the chance to see GIANT 300 lb tuna being auctioned off. And there are like 5 auctions going on at once in this giant warehouse. So cool. It's interesting because it's run like a fancy schmancy Sotheby's auction. Where the caller is shouting out in Japanese and the bidders only bid by hand signs. And they auction those fish FAST. It's a flurry of activity, but it's by far one of the coolest places I've visited in Japan.

Once we were kicked out of the auction, we wandered around and saw a bucket of live eels, live crabs in sand, those fish that swim on the bottom of the ocean and therefore look like they've been peeled on one-side, giant tuna just roaming around on those forklifts, octopus, squid, you name it...

And then it was time for an onigiri sushi breakfast with Uncle Greg while the ladies ate Pan Jewel pastries and we all sat down in McDonald's to drink coffee and warm up. D-E-licious!

The rest of the day we wandered around Ginza, saw the incredible opening of Matsuya Department Store where everyone just stands and bows to you and says "Shaimasen" over and over for 5 minutes. You kinda feel like a rockstar. We eventually had a delicious lunch at the Shiodome, and toured the Hama Detached Palace Gardens.

We opted to try out these handheld iPhone-type audio/visual tour guide things, which ended up making for a fun experience where we were constantly saying, "Did you ding yet?" "No, I didn't ding!" "Ahhh I don't wanna hear the thing about the bridge a fourth time." Surprisingly fun.

And we spent the evening chowing down on delicious Chinese food and soaking in wonderful bliss at the onsen. Even Aunt Jan enjoyed the baths despite her trepidation, and the night ended with a wonderful conversation about Phillip and all our other family members we've lost too soon. It might have been the best onsen night ever.

Over the weekend, the family headed down to Hiroshima and Himeji, and I spent most of the time sleeping off our early mornings and hoping I was starting to get better. I finally made some decisions about Thailand and Taiwan, and by Tuesday night, Evan and I had booked our flights and our hotel! YATTA! Vacation is only weeks away!

Sunday night the family returned, and we took off to Disneyland on Monday since it was supposed to be cold and rainy Tuesday and Wednesday. Though the park was INSANELY busy and I lost the lottery for both the castle show and Evan's show yet AGAIN, we had a pretty marvelous day. I was surprised that everyone loved Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain so much, and even more surprised at how much I disliked the castle show. I thought everyone was great, I just don't really enjoy the concept of hearing WACK arrangements of Disney songs in front of Cindy's Castle. Out of place, much? A rap version of Chim Chim Cheree? No thank you.

We had a great day together, and the lines went by quickly since we had so much to talk about. I think my family was shocked at how many times I started talking to some of the Japanese in line and ended up with friends and photo shoots!

That exhausting day segued into our grossest day yet on Tuesday that ended in snow. YUCK! Isn't spring supposed to be here yet? So we spent the day sleeping in and milling around Shin-Urayasu, which turned out to be an absolute BLAST! The ladies loved shopping in Shopper's Plaza, we laughed ourselves silly taking sticky pics, and everyone's absolute favorite was drinking at karaoke! Who knew my family would enjoy that so thoroughly? We ended the day with a long overdue game of pinochle (Aunt Jan and I won!), and a trip to Yakiniku across the street. Everyone loved the food and it was a successful end to our day!

Wednesday dawned less rainy than expected, so we took off for Kamakura for the day. We visited the Hachimangu shrine, which sadly lost their 1000-year-old towering Gingko tree in the storm the night before. News cameras and people milling around everywhere made us feel like we witnessed history, and in a way we had. I only wish I had seen it the first time I visited Kamakura.

Then we walked over to the other side of town, visited the inside of a Japanese Catholic Church, and visited my favorite shrine, Hasedera. The view from the top of the hill was amazing, seeing the whitecaps out on the ocean and all the windsurfers not far from the beach. Everyone enjoyed the temple, and of course we stopped at the Daibutsu (Great Buddha)! It was so much easier to walk around town then the first time I went in August when I couldn't get money, was dehydrated, and it was 100 degrees outside! Thank goodness!

We took the scenic Enoden streetcar over to Enoshima, and then the suspended monorail rollercoaster subway back to Ofuna. The detour was well-worth the experience of interesting transportation, a view of Fuji, and the gorgeous seaside train. We had hoped to stop in Yokohama for dinner, but we needed to get to the travel agent by 8, so we stopped into Monsoon for a TASTY dinner that night. I got to eat all of my favorites, so I was more than satisfied!

Thursday the family came to DisneySea, and despite the crowds, they made the most of fast passes and my planning, and rode just about everything except the Tower of Terror. They adored BBB, and after work, I joined them in the park to finally see BraviSEAmo!, see the Mermaid show, ride the rollercoaster, and spin around Aquatopia! They had a great and exhausting day, and I know they were impressed at the sheer amazingness of that park. Heck, I work here everyday, have visited 4 times now, and I was amazed!

Now the family has shipped off to the Ise Peninsula for the weekend, and I have spent the days working and resting up. I have tomorrow (Sunday) off with them for their final Japanese day. Who knows what we'll end up doing, but I hope they enjoy it thoroughly!

Finally, I just finished our fourth show, and there was a special needs child in the front, challenged with Down's Syndrome, I believe. I couldn't believe how well-behaved he was, and how wonderful his mother was with him. It always makes me a little sad inside to see children like that, but it really got to me at the end of the show, and I walked offstage with tears in my eyes. But it wasn't a sad cry. When Mickey came over and waved at the kid, I've never seen so much joy in my life. And as Blair said, it just makes it worth it. All the 5 show days, all the scheduling BS, that dang lottery, all the B-shifts back to back (like today so the other boys could go to rehearsal), seeing that little boy in the front row makes it all disappear.

Simply for his smile. And my family singing karaoke.

I'm so blessed!

A Quiet Night at Home

I'm aware that 90 percent of my faithful readership audience is my family. That being said, for those of you aren't in that contingent, this post will be more revealing to you. For those of you that are family and know what I'm talking about... enjoy the trip down a familiar lane.

In case you didn't read yesterday's post, today was my next door neighbor's birthday. What I didn't mention is that Evan's parents happen to be in town for a couple of days this week. And last night, well, we were sitting, chatting, talking, and hanging out, and wanted to play cards.

And we didn't have any.

Yes, family, you can start breathing again. I know the shock of discovering that an Assmus is treading this earth without a pack of cards handy (not even a pinochle deck!) nearly wiped you all out, but rest easy.

We simply stated that we would pick up a deck and play cards tonight.

And that we did.

Now, I haven't ever really run across another family as skilled and adept at picking up a 6 hand, double deck game quite like we are (be it in the basement of Rockefeller Center, in a camper in the middle of the woods, or in an airport waiting for a flight). Or really one that plays pinochle as avidly as we do.

So I wasn't really surprised when their game of choice was hearts, but that was no matter. Windows taught me how to play that game a long time ago, and after a quick brain refresher, I was well on my way to winning.

For the first few hands anyway.

Apparently Evan's mom is notoriously for successfully "shooting the moon".

Which she did. And that whole winning thing.

Nonetheless, one of my favorite nights here at E-village thus far has been playing cards with my best friend's fam, much as I would my own.

I think deep down I really am just a card game away from joining a retirement home.

Now if only I could find a foursome who know how to play pinochle or wanna learn.

Because I always run into problems like "Do I have to follow suit and beat it?" and "Do I have to play a heart or is that just a trump game rule?" when I play other games. And my pinochle itch needs a scratchin'.

So, until I'm sitting at my grandparent's house in a few months' time, I'll keep my thousand aces in my dreams.

And play a game of hearts.

Far From Home

Today felt like Christmas. Like a REAL Christmas.

It's probably because I got to wake up and stay at home next to the Christmas tree for several hours drinking a mimosa and a Blendy whilst Skype-ing with my family on the computer. I mean, THAT feels like Christmas. Family and chilling out at home. Oh, and that whole opening presents thing.

And then I joined several of my castmates for an afternoon showing of "Avatar" in 3-D, and that felt like my first Christmas away from home (in Hilton Head seeing "Sweeney Todd") as well as that random one in Houston when the Buehner's and sis and I went to see "Ocean's Eleven"... or Twelve. I'm not really sure.

And then I came home and cleaned my room and decorated and ate leftovers and just enjoyed being at home for Christmas. And then Evan and I watched "The Road Warrior" which I later found out was actually Mad Max 2. Which fits, since during the movie I thought, "this guy Max seems pretty mad. I wonder if they realized that makes him sound like Mad Max". HA!

So yeah. Today felt like Christmas. I was surrounded by family and a great friend, and I got to relax and celebrate and enjoy the day and the sunshine.

And well, then there's that whole Avatar thing.

A movie, that, I don't think I could have been so deeply affected by, were I not living in a foreign country and trying to live amongst and understand the native people. Who, like the movie characters, speak English almost as well as their native language.

The movie affirmed for me how precious it is for us to understand each other, and how important it is to be in tune with nature. I was telling Evan after the movie that I sometimes just have to escape and go hiking and find myself breathing again in a forest, and that people don't always understand that.

So yeah. It's a great film, and I believe it's message is topical and pertinent and crucial in today's society.

Now if only I could have an extra day off EVERY week...

Oh, and sadly, but much to my expectations, walking through Ikspiari today I saw that Japan truly does make Christmas disappear instantaneously December 26th. Not a decoration, light, sign, or greeting of glad tidings was anywhere in sight. Even the brilliant Christmas tree was merely a hollow steel shell waiting for its full breakdown.

So, in response, I think my Christmas tree in my room might hang around a bit longer than usual. Why not? Those lights are wonderfully ambient.

And my nephew wiggles his butt like Donald Duck when he walks.

Now THAT's Christmas!

Turkey Legs and Rocket Ships

So I've got family on the brain. And in the most specific, sense memory sort of ways.

You know when your emotions sneak up on you and surprise you, and out of the blue, for a reason no one else in the room would understand, you're completely choked up?

Yeah.

2 days of that already, and it's making me miss home for the holidays. And mom's home cooking. And baking.

Don't worry, I'm gonna be just fine and enjoy the heck out of Christmas (even if I have to work that day), but moreso than other years, the grief and loneliness pangs are striking my heart fervently.

Now here's the real kicker. Is it weird that I relish and enjoy them?

I'm not sure, but I think it's because they remind me that I'm loved, that I love, that I'm human...

That despite all the changes in my life, despite all the travels and growth and culture and career, I'm still that little kid who adores his dad.

See, that's what triggered it all. Last night at the onsen the CUTEST Japanese toddler was just hanging out with his dad in the collagen pool, and something about that adoration, that unconditional trust, the gleam in the kid's eye, it just made me miss the crap out of my father.

And yeah. I got choked up. And yeah, I cried a little later in the bubbly pool. Just a couple tears. Not too many...

Cuz it's the holidays. And I SHOULD miss my dad. And many days life goes by without grief pains or missing him till it hurts, and, well, that's probably a good thing. So when they shock me, less sharply than they did Sophomore year Thanksgiving in the stairwell when I realized I'd never have two parents pick me up ever again, I'm thankful that deep down, despite all the teenage angst and arguments, that I'm still that kid who loves my dad. Beyond mortality.

And so, I rode StarJets in Tomorrowland tonight. And I took an illegal video whilst doing so.

Why? Because when I was 9 or 10 at Disneyland, and again when we went to Disney World when I was in high school, my dad and I always rode the Rockets at night. Usually as the last ride. Cuz I think it was his favorite.

Doesn't really matter. I just remember that it was dad and me time.

So I rode the rockets. For my dad. For me. For Christmas.

And I took another forbidden video on Big Thunder Mountain because my Aunt Loretta had me CONVINCED the rocks were really gonna fall on me when I was 9 or 10 and sitting in that train next to her. And well, I wanted to tell her what that meant to me. Cuz she probably doesn't remember it, but I sure do.

And the Electrical Parade. Dad loved that one too.

And I ate a smoked turkey leg. Just to pay a little tribute to my parents and my sister and that Thanksgiving in Houston when we went to Disney for the week. And had a couple turkey legs in Florida's Tomorrowland because it was Thanksgiving Day, and well, you gotta have turkey somehow!

So yeah. I've got family on the brain. And it's probably because I'm wrapping up my shopping, wrote my Christmas cards, and have started receiving packages in the mail.

So forgive me for being a bit sappy. I gotta call my mother.

Cuz guess what. I love her too. And miss her even more this holiday season.

That and her cinnamon rolls.